Club History

BTYC began as a physical culture club in 1963, started by an ex-Olympian Wendy Gran. We took our official name Bulleen Templestowe Youth Club (BTYC) in 1972. The Club was run by a volunteer Committee of Management, as it is today. The Club operated out of a hall built by BTYC through fundraising raffles etc on Thompsons Rd on the border of Bulleen and Templestowe (hence our name). The hall still stands today, as the Community centre on Ted Ajani reserve.

In 1973, Olympian Jan Bedford/Smith assisted BTYC to enhance the WAG program established by Wendy Gran.
For the first 17 years, we were a set up and pack up gymnasium, however, by 1984, we had expanded into 3 venues with 1,200 members providing WAG, MAG & RSG. In 1985, the club moved into a huge new purpose built venue at the rear of Templestowe High School. It was the first of its kind in Victoria and so impressive that it also became the Head Quarters for VAGA, training Victoria’s elite athletes until 1993.

In 1996, the club separated from BTYC and became BTGC with only 700 members and with a focus on elite gymnastics. Unfortunately, BTGC went into severe debt by 1997. BTYC rescued the club and dismantled the costly elite program in 1998.

On the 11th December 1998, after the end of year Display, the home of BTYC was destroyed by fire leaving us with nothing. Four months later, a makeshift facility was arranged in an old furniture showroom on Doncaster Rd, with equipment that was bought, borrowed and donated. The makeshift gym had a low roof and was a split level so the senior gymnasts we had left, trained at other clubs to do Vault, High Bar, Uneven Bars and Rings a few nights a week.

With council support and a huge amount of work by the Club Committee and staff, a site for a new facility was sourced and plans made for the new venue at our current location. BTYC had only 400 members when we moved into the new facility, that we know and love today on Springvale Rd. We were able to secure one of each apparatus from the Sydney Olympics and with the equipment we had from the show room, we set up the new gym.